Both Jillian and Jacks jaw dropped. After a minute of mental silence Jillian asked Connor telepathically “The two of you can actually read each other’s minds?”
“Yes Jillian, watch.” he look down to Sarah’s achingly mesmerizing green eyes. “Sarah? How about we let them show them how we used our bond yesterday?”
“What do you have in mind?”
He looked back at her parents reeling in utter disbelief because he could feel them listening in on their personal conversation simultaneously. “How about this, since you two know that your bond works, you can split up and shadow us. Jillian you and Sarah leave right now and run as fast as you can and stop in twenty minutes. I will find you by using my bond to Sarah only. To make it more difficult do your best to hide your trail. After twenty minutes, I will follow and Jack will shadow me to know that I’m not cheating by following your trail. Also we will not talk to each other in any way.” He looked down at Sarah. “The sooner we figure these things out the sooner we can know why we are different.”
Sarah nodded, walked up to her still frozen mother and pulled her into a run out the door; red robe and all. Connor knew Sarah was running away because he could feel the pull in his gut that she’s connected to.
Connor turned to the last person in the room to say “Jack, get something to eat. You’re beginning to look a little sick.” He made himself a small breakfast of toast and coffee.
They waited in silence for nineteen minutes.
Connor had another idea and pulled a towel that came from their bathroom and held it out to Jack. “Will you please blindfold my eyes so that you know that I’m not tracking them by following a trail?” After the blindfold had been secured over his eyes Connor started walking. He clearly remembered the layout of Jack’s house so he walked casually out the front door without stubbing a toe. Focusing on that feeling inside that proved that their bond lived Connor felt the exact direction she waited at and her mood. She wasn’t scared anymore, Sarah actually felt jubilant.
“Jack, before we go; will you warn me if I might run headfirst into a tree?” He smiled out in the darkness of the towel.
“I will tell you if you do.” Jack’s voice became guarded and Connor knew he was standing behind, about four yards away and still reading his mind.
Connor took off in her direction as fast as he could with his newfound speed, but slowed down to stay safe. Jack’s footfalls were close by, only two yards behind, but it gave away his position. It proved that he has inhuman speed as well. Connor put his mind back on the task at hand.
Soon he knew Sarah stood just three hundred feet ahead. Connor stopped sprinting and started walking. He heard Jack slow and start walking beside him. “Connor, I honestly haven’t a single clue as to what’s going on between the two of you, but there is a test that I need to give you and Sarah anyways. Hopefully it will shed some light on this predicament.”
“I’m up for anything.” Then they heard Jillian’s voice.
“Jack, how did it go on your end?” She sounded hopeful. Connor felt him take off the blindfold and it took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the morning sunlight. “He didn’t cheat at all. He ran here completely blindfolded while I scanned his mind for any falsehoods.”
She let out a relieved sigh. “It was the same with Sarah. I monitored her mind and she didn’t even attempt to contact him the first time.”
“Welcome back. Did you have any trouble finding your mate?” Sarah stepped around a tree, smiling directly at him.
“It wasn’t too bad. I only had to be told sixteen times ‘Tree!’” and Sarah laughed.
She walked up to her father “Only sixteen? Father why didn’t you let him run into at least one?” she was being playful this morning. He’s never seen her interact with anyone like she currently did now. Connor smiled, knowing she had finally peeked out of her shell for the first time and this is the result.
“I wanted to, but you would have been angry if he was injured.” Jack stated with a smile.
“Only just a little bit.” She held up her index finger and thumb to illustrate the extent. It wasn’t much.
Everyone started laughing for no reason. Jillian looked at him “Connor, will you tell us about the lifelong contract you two preformed? What happened exactly?” He told Jillian almost everything about yesterday. “She glowed… She reached into both of our chests… was green and mine was a hazel color… she put them together… Electricity shot through me… Being encased while the one big orb dissolved…” and so on.
“Well Sarah, I knew that you would do everything right!” She sounded smug and pat Sarah’s back as we walked back to their house. “I have an idea about the situation, but nothing like this has happened in our histories, as far as I know.”
“What’s your theory, My Love?” Jack asked and they all listened.
“Sarah did everything exactly right, She romped him on top so she had room to move freely, just like I did to you seven centuries ago. While we waited, she showed me mentally every aspect of her first romp. From Connor’s words, she didn’t imagine any of what I saw. But we never thought to take into consideration our new son-in-law.” And everyone stopped to look at him.
“That makes sense.” Jack tilted his head.
“What did I do wrong?” Connor sounded worried, but only for Sarah’s sake. The last thing he ever wanted was to place Sarah in an unfavorable predicament.
“Nothing you did was wrong, Child. You let her take the lead in your first mating.” Jillian started. “We simply forgot to factor in how strong you were before even becoming a Balancer. Your talents were well beyond most others your age, even for a human. Also how strong and guarded your mind was as well.”
“Mother, what does that have to do with us?” Sarah pleaded for an answer.
“Everything.” She looked back at Connor. “Our abilities work with three things. (A) Physical strength. (B) Mental strength and knowledge. (C) Instinct.” She took a deep breath. “Connor, your body was already extremely powerful. When you fused your souls into one, the power didn’t need to strengthen your core. It had no use to build your frame anymore so it increased your energy reserves. And it made your bonds come into being, far sooner than usual.
“Your mind was very developed as it was. It took a lot of power to block your thoughts from us, especially just as a human. The energy didn’t need to develop your brain much so it made you have the ability to read minds and think faster so much earlier. Yet I haven’t a clue as to why you two can read each other’s mind so don’t ask me that. That much I envy.
“The energy given off from the soul’s fusion first enhances your body, then your mind, and finally the instinct. When we use our abilities, they are governed by all three working together in unison. Being an outdoorsman your instinct was honed to a fine point, like a predator. Humans have very little instinct these days, but you, Connor, are a natural.
“Humans used to call us witches, wizards, demons, conjurers, devils and so on. The books have it wrong though, there are no words, spells or sayings that allow us to do the things we can do. Not even emotions affects how our powers work.” She looked at Jack for a second opinion. He nodded in agreement.
“Well what about me? How am I so much faster and stronger now?” Sarah asked her mother calmly.
“That might be easier to explain. It’s because your mate is so strong himself.” Jillian looked at him again with warm eyes. “You’re a Balancer. Strength is shared. I do not believe there is anything to worry about.” She turned to Jack. “I believe we should do those tests on them.”
“What kind of tests?” Connor asked Jack.
As they continued walking back he said “We need to do an affinity test!”
***
“What’s an affinity test?” Connor asked as Sarah grabbed his hand, finally feeling relief about why they were so very different as mates; compared to others of their kind that is.
Sarah looked up at him to explain what it meant. “An Affinit
y test is to see what element you can use. Since we became one, my affinity might have changed. That is not uncommon. Most Balancers can only use one specific element per mate. But my sister Amber’s mate can use two.”
Jillian chipped in. “My element is Liquid, where before mating it was Terra. Here let me show you a glimpse of what I am capable of.” Connor stopped his next question and she looked at her mother as she held her arm straight and turned her palm up. Sarah actually felt her mother gathering energy within her. This is a new sensation too. She’s never felt someone gathering their power before.
“Connor, what she’s doing is calling upon her body’s energy reserves and focusing it to her hand.” Connor nodded then the sensation changed. “Connor, now she is using her mind to focus on her element.” He nodded again, and then the air began to move. “Now she is collecting the water vapor in the air and pulling it to her hand.”
“I can see… That is amazing!!!” Connor thought loudly.
Jillian held a ball of rotating water only an inch above her hand. It flowed and moved like a clear water balloon that’s been thrown. She took her other hand and tossed it at Connor. He put up his hands to catch it, but it lost cohesion and soaked his shirt. “I don’t care if I am wet. That was amazing, Jillian!”
Jillian bowed for the praise she received. “Thank you. Now Connor, the morning I called you over to my home for the first time, to have you and Sarah return, I disturbed the moisture in your room to swirl to get your attention…”
“Hey Jack, what’s your element?” Connor’s playful side emerged as he jumped past Jillian’s explanations. He began acting like a little kid who just received a new and shiny toy.
Her father threw his head back and laughed and when he settled down he said “My element is… Fire!”
Connor stepped back when Jack pulled most of the heat around the area and ignited a flowing fireball the size of a regulation softball. Connor said quickly and respectfully “I’m ok, but please don’t throw it at me.” “Wow Princess I wonder what our elements will be? Hey I’m going to be a kid for a moment. Love you!” Connor quickly kissed her head and turned to her father “Hey Jack? READY… SET… GO!” and Connor suddenly ran as quickly as his new abilities could take him through the woods.
Not one to be outdone, Sarah’s father soon had a challenging grin on just before he took off after Connor, while still holding the fireball. “Boy, you’ve got a lot to learn…” and they both disappeared in the forest. The pull of the bond told her just how quickly her mate was traveling.
“Connor is something else isn’t he, Sarah?” Her mother stepped next to her as they walked back to her parent’s house.
“I know. That’s why I love him, but tell me why you think so?” Sarah asked in a voice of awe.
“Besides being an unprecedented Balancer, as far as I know, he has turned this family upside down. I have only seen your father have that look of challenge and follow through with it only three times since... never mind. I will say it again though, your mate is so much fun.”
As they made it to the house, Connor and her father sat on the front step together, just laughing. “Who won boys?” Sarah asked. Connor’s knees were dirty for some reason. The two men looked as excited as before.
“Jack did. I was startled and tripped in the dirt when a fireball whizzed over my head.” and Connor laughed.
“Father! You didn’t?” She almost yelled at the allegation.
“It was just a small one.” Connor playfully punched Jack’s shoulder like they were now the best of friends. It was a sight to behold. They both started laughing at their own immaturity.
“Just you wait Jack, when I find my element, we are going to have a rematch.” They both stood up, ready for another challenge and went inside.
Jillian started to actually cry and wore a haunted smile when she knew they weren’t watching. “I haven’t seen your father this playful since Amber was a child.” And Sarah hugged her knowing why her father hasn’t had fun since then. After her mother’s tears dried up they went inside. Now it was time to discover just what element they can use.
Connor sat next to Sarah as her father brought out the simple items for the tests. He placed five different objects on the coffee table that occupied the space before them. The table held two solid cubes of metal, a cup of water in an antique clay bowel, a lit candle, a black river stone and two inflated balloons.
Connor picked the balloon up. “I get most of the objects like the cube for Metal, the candle flame for Fire, the cup for Liquid and the stone for Terra. What is the balloon’s element?”
“It is for testing for the element Pressure” Jillian explained. “It is better than using a leather bladder like when we tried to find our element.”
Jillian sat down in the loveseat across from them, to explain the tests while Jack moved around to stand behind Connor. “Connor, this is the simplest way to find the element that you’re compatible with. Since your new to this world and haven’t accumulated enough energy yet, Jack is going to stand behind you and supply you with some extra stamina.” Connor looked behind at Sarah’s father and nodded. “Connor, take off your shirt. To transfer energy you need to touch skin to skin.” Her mother said and he didn’t question. He took his shirt off and laid it on the floor beside him. Jack then put both of his palms over Connor’s shoulder blades. And his hands began to faintly glow.
Form and Intangible
“Don’t worry Connor, we are all here to help.” Sarah pushed into his mind.
“I might need it.” He smiled at her.
Meanwhile, Connor felt a slow and small trickle of energy flowing into his body from where Jack’s hands were placed. Connor remained seated in his in-laws living room and slightly leaned forward as Jillian initiated the test. “Before we get started you must know when you use an element, the closer you are to it the less energy you’ll need to use, but if you use your abilities on an object that is too far… it is possible for you to die from the attempt if you force your abilities beyond what they can sustain. It strains your heart. And the heavier an object, the harder it is to manipulate. It’s always best to be cautious and regulate your powers appropriately.” Her eyes shot to Sarah to make an expressed point.
“I get it, the closer the better. Use what you need, nothing more.” Connor said as she leaned forward when she knew that he knew what she meant.
“Connor, first we are going to start with the most versatile element Pressure. If you are a Pressure Balancer you will be able to pop the balloon. Grab the balloon.” He leaned forward, picked up the red balloon and held it in his left palm. “Good. Now hold it between both of your hands. Ok, now first calm your body.” Connor closed his eyes and slowed his breathing. “Very good now the next step is to focus on what you want and intend to do. My father is a Pressure Balancer and he said for this test there are two uses for this. Pressure can be used to create gusts of wind or can even be solidified into an invisible shield that cannot be penetrated with the proper mental discipline. He said ‘Imagine in your mind’s eye two invisible circular plates just over your hands. With your arms, force the pressure plates together to pop the object.’ Go ahead and try it.”
With his eyes still closed Connor imagined two Frisbee sized invisible discs made solid, over the palms of his hands. A strange sensation of circular spinning energy out of the center of his chest began coursing through the limbs of his arms and found an escape through his palms. Connor opened his eyes when he no longer felt the sensation of holding rubber.
Nothing could be seen but Connor could feel a solid air current coming from each of his palms. The red balloon looked like it began levitating and spinning end over end between his hands. It became a dancing balloon, but with nothing sustaining its levitation except his will and power. Moving his hands closer to the balloon, its sides began to compress and flatten. Pulling apart, the object resumed its shape. With one final burst of strength Connor pushed the balloon flat and it exploded with a loud POP.
Connor was breathing heavily because he didn’t realize how much energy needed to be expended on this attempt and it made him feel slightly light headed. “Well that was fun, what’s next?” he said to Jillian who sat with a wide eyed smile. Jack removed his hands and sighed.
“You did it on your first try. You really are a natural.” Jillian shook her head in disbelief. “Not yet, first tell me what you pictured.”
“I pictured two Frisbees. I didn’t realize how much energy it would take though.” Jillian nodded in agreement.
“Now that was amazing, Connor!” Sarah said it honesty.
Turning to look at Jack, Connor asked “How are you?” He was breathing slow and deep, but said nothing.
Jillian continued. “Connor, since you are able to control Pressure, I can tell you three unique things I have seen my father do. He was able to change the direction of any object that came at him. Whether it was an arrow or a cannonball, it didn’t matter. He was strong enough to flatten small buildings when he solidified the element and he was also able to manipulate Pressure so that he could even fly over long distances.”
“Balancer’s can fly!?” he sounded like a kid at a candy store.
“Some can, and you will too…one day, but your body is still developing your reserves. They need to be filled because you are still running at only a tenth of your true power as far as I can tell.” She looked at the table. “Ok let’s see if you are compatible with another element.” She looked at the cup. “Pick up the water.” He did so and sat in on his lap. “This is my personal element Liquid. Liquid is the most flexible of the elements. It can be used both as an offence and defense. The way I use this ability is that I picture an orb of water in my hand. Put one hand over the top of the water and try to pull it out. Give it a try.” Jack rested his palms on Connor’s back again to transfer over more of his stamina.
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